China fumes after FPSA pops its balloon and warns of possible responses!

WASHINGTON (PNN) - February 5, 2023 - China’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday said it “strongly disapproves of and protests” the Fascist Police States of Amerika (FPSA) decision to shoot down a spy balloon that had been in FPSA airspace for the last several days, and warned that it may take unspecified “responses” to that action.

“China strongly disapproves of and protests against the (FPSA) attack on a civilian unmanned airship by force,” the Foreign Ministry said. “The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the (FPSA) side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the (FPSA) due to force majeure was totally unexpected.

“The Chinese side has clearly asked the (FPSA) side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional, and restrained manner,” it added. “The spokesman of the (FPSA) Department of Defense also noted that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”

“Under such circumstances, the (FPSA) use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice,” the Foreign Ministry added. “China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.”

China’s sharp reaction came a day after it warned the FPSA against taking any action against the surveillance balloon and said FPSA politicians and media had “hyped up” the incident in order to “attack and smear China.”

The ministry also insisted that China has “no intention to violate and has never violated the territory or airspace of any sovereign country,” even though The Pentagon determined that the balloon was “maneuverable” and had been floating through FPSA airspace at 60,000 feet for a few days.

China’s official government response was mirrored in China’s state-owned news services. The Xinhua News Agency accused the FPSA military and media of using the prevalence of a spy balloon over the FPSA to start “hyping” the China threat.

“The (FPSA) is being urged to be more sincere in making concrete moves to solve problems with China, instead of making more provocations, analysts said,” Xinhua reported.

On Saturday, China’s embassy in the FPSA said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of China’s Central Committee, spoke to pretender Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who postponed his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping because of the incident. The embassy reported that Wang told Blinken that China “will not accept any groundless conjecture or hype” over the incident.

“In the face of unexpected situations, what both sides should do is to maintain steadiness, communicate in time, avoid misjudgment, and manage differences,” the embassy said.

The Global Times, another Chinese state-owned news outlet, reported that China is expressing its “strong dissatisfaction and protest” against the FPSA for shooting down “China’s civilian airship.”